Interview in the run-up to Valve World Expo 2012

-Project Director Friedrich-Georg Kehrer-

How do you explain the success of Valve World Expo, which in November will already be taking place for the second time in Düsseldorf?Two years ago, in 2010, we held Valve World Expo with the supporting international trade conference in Düsseldorf. As a trade fair with enormous growth potential it fits outstandingly well into the portfolio of capital goods trade fairs “made by Messe Düsseldorf”. Our product family of metallurgical trade fairs with leading world events such as wire, Tube, GIFA, METEC, Thermprocess and NEWCAST along with international offshoot events on almost every continent has been further enhanced to include another key player in the sector with the addition of Valve World Export. Here, at the Düsseldorf venue the leading trade fair for industrial valves and fittings can develop further.

The trade fair has great economic, business potential because valves are the basis and provide interfaces in upstream and downstream technologies such as pumps, filter systems, facilities and pipe, tube systems. They are indispensable for all technological optimization processes and a key component within almost all industrial sectors and branches.

Why of all venues the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre as the location?Due to its geographical location at the heart of Europe, its many fast connections by air, rail and motorway with the other European countries, overseas connections, a modern exhibition centre with all the latest modern facilities and a professionally operating team of exhibition hall electricians ranging from the specialist departments right up to management level, Messe Düsseldorf offers the perfect platform for the development of Valve World Expo.

At the Düsseldorf premiere of the event in 2010 we were able to achieve an enormous increase in exhibitor figures and square metres of space compared with the previous events in Maastricht. 536 companies from 37 countries came to Valve World Expo 2010 in Düsseldorf. They occupied almost 14,000 square metres of exhibition space.

In 2010 how did exhibitors and trade visitors assess the move of Valve World Expo 2010 from Maastricht to Düsseldorf?As the economic centre of the Ruhr region, Düsseldorf has a high lifestyle factor. Described as a small Paris, the people here have a special joie de vivre which finds expression in the streetscape through trendy clothes and the many so-called in-meeting places.

In addition, the regional capital of NRW has a higher economic factor. Many IT and technology firms have their headquarters here. After a fulfilling day at the trade fair, Düsseldorf offers a sophisticated, high-quality restaurant and shopping scene along with lifestyle. The unanimous response of our customers on both the exhibitor and visitor side: “Carry on what you’re doing, we have arrived in Düsseldorf!”

Does Valve World Expo fit in with the other made-in-Düsseldorf trade fairs?The fair fits in very well with our mechanical engineering and plant construction trade fairs portfolio and has many synergies with Tube, the international Trade Fair for Tube and Pipe, held every two years. Apart from Tube, here we also hold wire, the world’s largest Trade Fair for Wire and Cable, along with the trade fair quartet GMTN (Gifa – International Trade Fair for Foundry, Foundry Technology and Melting Furnace, Metec – International Trade Fair for Metallurgical Technology, Steel Casting and Steel Production, Thermprocess – International Trade Fair for Thermo Process Technology and Heat Engineering and Newcast – International Trade Fair for Precision Castings).

Foundry technology, metal working, heat technology and the application of the castings are the key contents of the trade fair quartet which is held here every four years.

In other words, in addition to wire, cable and a wire/tube summit, we also have a regular international metallurgy and foundry summit in Düsseldorf. Therefore Valve World Expo with its industrial valves and applications fits in outstandingly well in the mechanical engineering and plant construction product family.

What status is enjoyed by Valve World?It serves as a decisive interface for our mechanical engineering and plant construction trade fairs. Because without valves, fittings and flap valves no industrial automation process could take place. Therefore the growth within this sector is still far from reaching its climax.

For 2012 we are expecting an increase in figures both in terms of exhibitors as well as visitors. Up to now (status August 2012) 550 companies from 37 countries for a total space of over 15,000 square metres have already registered.

Are you planning changes compared to 2010?We have quite deliberately once again chosen to occupy the same exhibition halls (3 and 4) to ensure that a professional routine is established. The supporting conference will also be held once again at the Congress Center Süd (CCD.Süd) at the exhibition centre.

A new feature is an optimized hall layout planning for the exhibitors according to products, although even this is not desired in all cases. Several exhibitors would always like to have the same neighbouring exhibitor and we do of course respect these wishes, because we are only satisfied when the companies feel at home with us.

What are the focal points at the trade fair in 2012?Once again in 2012 the focal points are the latest technologies, components and systems from the industrial valves sector. They are primarily used in the chemicals industry, energy and water industry, especially oil and gas, in power stations, shipbuilding, the marine and offshore sector, the foodstuffs industry, mechanical engineering and plant construction sector and the motor and vehicle industry.

Alongside the latest technologies from the valves and accessories sectors, valve-related pipe/tube products, seals/gaskets, sealing materials, components and engineering services along with specialist related associations and publishing houses are presented. Valves in all formats and forms are used in innumerable industrial products which is why there is such a large number of various types and sizes.

Which trends are up-and-coming?The trend is clearly towards larger exhibition spaces. The companies want to present themselves as effectively as possible. It is also clear to them that Valve World Expo is the worldwide sector meeting place. Anyone who is absent here misses the dialogue with the small and medium-sized industrial companies, the initiator of many innovations.

The registration figures speak for themselves. In particular we can report increased space for Italy, Spain, Sweden, Croatia, Slovakia, Turkey, India, South Korea, Taiwan and in particular the USA.

What is the significance of the supporting conference?An ideal synergy. Machines, mechanical engineering/plant construction, components and systems are shown at Expo, the seminars and workshops at the conference provide a more detailed and extensive look at the application processes and also offer a discussion on innovative solutions for specific valves.

In 2010 the subjects of 75 specialist lectures included for example themes such as emissions, seals and gaskets, castings, standardization and norms, materials, testing and new designs. The record figure of around 400 delegates from all over the world came together for this international expert dialogue in Düsseldorf. We are confident that once again in 2012 under the tried-and-tested organization of KCI, we will once again be delivering an interesting congress.